Boiler-furnace



(No Model.)

s. T. OWENS.

, BOILER FURNAOE.

No 492,943.- Patented Mar. 7, 1893.

rendered possible.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL T. OWENS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOILER-FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,943, dated March 7,1893.

Application filed July 24, 1891. Serial No. 400,666- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. OWENS, a resident of Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Boiler-Furnaces; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to boiler furnaces, its object being to provide aboiler furnace in which a high heat may be generated throughout thelength of the boiler, and in which a large saving of fuel can beeffected; practically all the fuel introduced being entirely consumed,and therefore a greater proportion of heat generated than in theordinary boiler furnace.

. My invention relates more particularly to that class of furnaces inwhich gaseous fuel or vaporized fuel, such as vaporized hydrocarbon isemployed, though with some changes in construction it may be employedwith the ordinary solid fuel.

.It consists, generally stated, in combining with the boiler aperforated arch extending longitudinally under the boiler and above thefire chamber, and one or more transverse perforated walls extendingacross the same in such way as to divide the space under the arch intocompartments each forming a combustion chamber, and so to compel thegases and flame to pass through such perforated walls, the course of thegases being thus retarded in such way that a more perfect commingling ofthe air therewith is obtained, and the entire combustion of the gasestherefore It also consists in certain improvements in the heating andintroduction of the air, and in the dampers for controlling the passageof the heated products through the boiler, as will be hereinafter moreparticularly set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willdescribe the same more fully, referring to'the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through one of the fiues of theboiler, the line of such section being shown at 11,Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section onthe line 3-3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail view of the dampers controllingthe fiues of the boiler; and Fig. 5 isa reduced cross section of amodification.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

I have illustrated the invention in connection with what is termed atwoflue boiler, the boiler A having the fiues a a extending longitudinallythrough the same, the boiler being suitably supported within thefurnace. The furnace has the front wall'b, side walls 0 and back wall(1, the side walls b preferably extending up on each side of the boiler,so as to expose the sides thereof to the heat generated.

Extending over the floor e of the furnace is a series of longitudinalair heating .flues, six such fiues being shown in the drawings, and saidfiues being formed of tubular tile, the tile being preferablyrectangular in exterior shape, and being supported on suitable brickwork, the bricks c fitting aroundthe meeting edges of the tiles 6 andclosing the joints, but at the same time leaving the bodies of the tilebetween the joints free for the passage of the heat around the same, soas to cause the heating of the incoming air. By means of these tiles, orsimilar devices, a series of longitudinal flues is formed, extendingalongthe lower part of the fire chamber and exposed to the heat thereof,and in order to obtain the greatest heating of the air possible, thesefiues lead-either from the ends or the sides of the furnace, accordingto the-distance to be traversed therein. For example; the fiues f opennear the front end of the furnace, and have their entrances f throughthe rear wall (1 thereof and their discharge openings f near the frontend of the furnace,

such discharge openings being formed of vertical tile opening from thelongitudinal fiues f, so as to carry the air up toward the upper end ofthe furnace chamber H. The incom- 5 ing fiues 9 have their verticalopenings 9 back from the front end of the furnace and nearer the frontend than the rear end, and therefore they have their entrance ports g inthe rear wall d. The fiues have their ver- IOO tical discharge ports 2'nearer the rear wall than the front Wall, and therefore they have theirentrance ports '11 in the front wall I). These several ports,f g 2 and7? open by means of vertical tubes or tiles extending from thelongitudinal fines up into the furnace chamber a sufficient distance tocarry or discharge the air at such point therein as to bring the airsubstantially above the gas, and therefore cause the proper comminglingof gas and air. The several longitudinal flues, with their dischargeflues, are exposed to the heat generated Within the furnace which hasfree course to pass entirely around the tubes formingthe flues except attheir joints, and therefore the air is introduced into the furnace at ahigh heat; examination of the furnace showing that these verticaltubesor risersare held at a red heat, and even the interior walls arenot chilled by the incoming air.

In Fig. 5 the air heating flueslead'from the side walls, with the sameeffect. Extending over from the supporting side walls which form thebase for the arch, is the perforated arch 7a, which arch preferablyextends the entire length of the boiler, though for some purposes it mayonly extend part way. For example; the rear end of the perforated archback of the perforated wall m may be omitted, and the heated products bepermitted to strike directly against the boiler at that point. \Vithinsaid longitudinal perforated arch, and extending across the fire chamberH, are one or more transverse perforated Walls m m, two such walls beingshown, and the walls dividing the fire chamber into com partments h, It,71 each forming acombustion chamber, such construction so dividing thefurnace into a series of compartments having perforated arched roofs,and perforated or checher work cross walls, so that the fuel enteringthe fire chamber is compelled to pass through these walls in its coursetoward the rear of the furnace, and is retarded thereby; and eachcompartment gives a space for the proper mixing or commingling of theair with the gases, so that before they pass through the furnacepractically all the gases are completely consumed. According to thecons-truction shown, each one of the longitudinal flues opens in one ofthese compartments, the fines fopening in the compartment h, the fines gin the compartment 71 and the flues i in the compartment h the dischargetubes of these hues opening near the upper ends of the compartments asabove stated. The end of the space L between the perforated arch in andthe boiler A is closed by the like perforated or checker-work wall Z.

The furnace is provided with any suitable fuel entrances, those shown inthe drawings being oil injectors p which enter through the front wall1),, the oil or other liquid hydrocarbon passing to the injectorsthrough the tubes 19, while the steam or air under pressure passes tothe injector at 19 Two of these injectors are shown, and they arepreferably placed at an incline to the length of the boiler, so as toinject the hydro-carbon vapor over toward the side walls. Instead ofsuch injectors suitable gas entrances may be employed, or if preferred,a suitable form of grate may be arranged to communicate with, or formedof the front compartment h.

In order to control the draft through the furnace, and to retard thedraft as hereinafter described in connection with the operation of thesame, I employ at the eXit end of the boiler flues a the dampers r,these dampers being placed within the breeching R of the boiler leadingtothe chimney. Thedampers are mounted in any suitable way so as to actto close the exitopenings of the fin sse, the construction preferredbeing that shown in the drawings,-in which the dampers" are hinged orpivoted at their lower ends asat r to the boilers, or to the breechin'g,asmay be desired, and are adapted to be swung up and close the exit'endsa of the-fines in such way as to either retard the flow of theheated products through the flues, or entirely out 01f the draft of thesame; and as aresult of such a construct'ion,-I am enabled to entirelyclose the boiler flu es, and so close'the draft through the furnace, andmaintain the heat within the same for a long period,- without consumingany fuel. 1

In the operation of theboiler f urn ace where oil is employed, theoil isinjected through the injectors 19, either air or steam being employedfor the purpose, astound most desirable;- As so injected it will bevaporized, and as soon as it enters the furnace chamber h-it will beraised to a high heat, the oil vapor circulating first within theforward compartment hof the furnace chamber, and a portion of the sameuniting with the air entering the furnace through the fluesf anddischarged into the compartment 7t through the vertical tile f withinthe said chamber. The air is introduced in the upper part of saidchamber, and as the oil vapor is of lighter specific gravity than theair, and the vapor is introduced under the air, proper conditions forthe commingling of the same and combustion of the vapor are obtained. Asaresult of the combustion in this first compartment apart and stillfurther combustion being formed thereby, part of which. escapes throughthe. perforated arch, striking against the boiler and circulating withinthe space L, while part of the unconsumed gases together with the flameand heated products will strike against and pass through the secondperforated cross Wall m, which is in like manner maintained at a highheat, and will be commingled with the air entering the compartment 71.from the flues 11 through the vertical tubes i and in the course throughthe furnace chambers and the several compartments thereof a practicallyperfect combustion of all the gases formed from the oil vapor will beobtained, the perforated cross walls retarding the flow of the same,causing the commingling of the air and gases in such way as to obtainthe combustion of the same, while practically all the heat generated inthe several compartments will rise through the longitudinal perforatedarch is into the space L around the boiler, and in case any of the gasesescape into such space L they will intermingle with the heated air whichwill pass intothe said space through the perforated arch, and formcombustion above the arch, the perforated arch and the perforated crosswalls in this way retarding the draft and the flow of the gas and air,and forcing the gas and air through comparatively small passages so thatthey will be thoroughly commingled with each other, causing thepractically perfect combustion of all the gases formed from the oilvapor. The highly heated products of combustion will flow through thespace L to the end of the boiler, and through the perforated wall Z, andthen pass forward through the flues or tubes of the boiler into thebreeching R, and the flow of such highly heated products is controlledby the damper or dampers 4", which can be raised so as to reduce thedischarge openings at the ends of the fines, and in that way so retardthe draft through the same that Y the larger portion of the heat whichis generated in the furnace will be absorbed through the walls of theboiler and utilized for steam generating. The draft can in this way becontrolled and retarded, both by the perforated arch and perforatedcross Walls of the furnace itself, and by the dampers. Practicaloperation of the furnace hasproven that in operating with oil vapor thesame heat can be generated with one-third less fuel than in the ordinaryfurnace heated with the same fuel, while at the same time the steamgenerating is caused principally by the highly heated products ofcombustion, and the burning out of the walls of the boileris prevented.In case it is desired to close down the boiler, such for ex ample aswhere the works are not running, by closing the dampers 1" against thefines of the boiler, the draft or current through the boiler furnace andboiler can be entirely checked, and as a result the heat retained withinthe furnace and boiler, it being found .that even where the boiler isshut down for twelve hours, the high heat retained within the walls ofthe boiler furnace is sufficient to.

maintain the water within the boiler practically at the steam generatingpoint, so that when the furnace is again started steam will be generatedin a few minutes. v c

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A boiler furnace having a cylindrical boiler provided with returnfiues or passages and having below the same and above the fire chamber acylindrical perforated arch and one or more transverse perforated wallsextending across the fire chamber so dividing the space below the archinto compartments, each forming a combustion chamber substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

2. A boiler or like furnace, having a longitudinal perforated archextending under the boiler and above the fire chamber, transverseperforated walls extending across the fire chamber and dividing it intocompartments, each forming a combustion chamber and air entrancescommunicating with the said compartments, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

3. A boiler or like furnace having a longitudinal perforated archextending under the boiler and above the fire chamber, transverseperforated walls extending across the fire chamber anddividing it intocompartments, and having vertical air tubes extending up within saidcompartments and opening only at points near the top of thecompartments, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. A boiler or like furnace having a series of longitudinal air heatingflues extending along the base thereof, and exposed to the heat of the.fire chamber and having vertical tubes rising therefrom within the firechamber at different points in the length thereof and opening near thetop of the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A boiler or like furnace having longitudinal air heating fluesleading from the rear of the furnace to a point near the forward endthereof and opening into the same, and longitudinal fines leading fromthe forward end of the furnace toward the rear thereof and opening intothe same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A boiler or like furnace having a fire chamber under the boilercommunicating with the entrance end of the boiler fiues or tubes, andhaving a damper at the discharge end of said fines or tubes and adaptedto be closed so as to control the flow of the heated products throughthe same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. A boiler or like furnace having a fire chamber under the boilercommunicating with the entrance end of the boiler fines or tubes,

and having a damper at the discharge end of In testimony whereof I, thesaid SAMUEL said flues or tubes controlling the flow of the T. OWENS,have hereunto set my hand, heated products through the same, said damperbeing hinged or pivoted below the flue, and

5 adapted to be raised toward or against the \Vitnesses:

same, substantially as and for the purposes JAMES I. KAY, set forth. J.N. COOKE.

SAMUEL T. OWENS.

